Padres' Dinelson Lamet: Closing in on rotation spot

Manager Andy Green added Lamet's name to the list of pitchers he envisions making the Padres' starting rotation to begin the year, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

It was a bit surprising that Lamet wasn't given this vote of confidence earlier this spring considering the quality of the two pitchers who got the nod ahead of him (Clayton Richard and Bryan Mitchell). Better late than never. While Green didn't fully confirm the 25-year-old's placement in the rotation, he added that "he's moving closer to [securing a rotation spot]" after showering the youngster with praise following Tuesday's victory over the Cubs. Lamet experienced extreme peaks and valleys on his way to a 4.57 ERA over 114.1 innings as a rookie last year, but the notable stat was his strikeout rate (10.9 K/9), which ranked ninth among all major-league starters. The righty has been working on adding a curveball to his repertoire during exhibition play to complement his mid-90s fastball, hard-biting slider and mediocre change. Lamet has the highest fantasy upside of any of the Friars' rotation candidates, and the strikeouts alone should make him a viable option in most fantasy formats.